I’m developing a sermon series for the fall or early winter—it’s about heaven. I shared this idea with a fellow pastor who responded, “I’d like to do that but I don’t want my people to become so heavenly-minded that they’re no earthly good.” We laughed and I told him I understood what he was saying. Later, while reflecting on his comment, I began to wonder if it really is possible to become too heavenly-minded. My conclusion? It’s impossible to become too heavenly minded.

As Christians, we are a people who have been delivered from this present-evil age, this system of Satan, into the eternal kingdom. Our affections are heavenly. Our desire is for that which is eternal and not for the passing things of this world.

It may sound paradoxical to say this, but heaven should be at the center of our worldview. Though some would deride this as escapism, it is, after all, the very thing Scripture commands: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). The apostle Paul penned that command, and his approach to life was anything but escapist.

We don't seek to escape this life by dreaming of heaven. But we do find we can endure this life because of the certainty of heaven. Heaven is eternal. Earth is temporal. Those who fix all their affections on the fleeting things of this world are the real escapists, because they are vainly attempting to avoid facing eternity-by hiding in the fleeting shadows of things that are transient.